Act 2, Scene 9: "Special Things are Possible Today"

TRL is on the floor stretching. C & E are in their high chairs, covering themselves in Cheerios, yogurt and milk, their daily breakfast ritual. TRL extends his arms and legs, trying to stretch his entire body out to counteract the tightening and muscle shortening that has taken place over the night. He turns his head to the left to stretch out his neck, then the right but before he turns completely a long dark shadow passes over the room through the window.

TRL sits up and stares. A hot air balloon is gliding over his neighbor’s house across the street. It is just clearing the roof and trees. TRL jumps up and shouts for S.

Busy, she yells from upstairs.

TRL runs to the front door window.

You’ve got to see this, he screams up to her.

S comes down the stairs buttoning her pants. What, she huffs. I’m late for work. What are they doing?

TRL points outside.

Oh, exclaims S.

They both walk out to the front stairs. The balloon is the color of the rainbow and you can hear the hot air jets hissing in the ballooner's attempts to lift the balloon beyond the roofs and trees of the neighborhood. They watch as it drifts north and over the next street, and then, because of the trees and angle, TRL and S lose sight of it. They go back inside.

The morning now had a very Chitty Chitty Bang Bang or Willy Wonka feel to it, realizes TRL. Special things are possible today.